A ship from China to Pak stopped at Mumbai port over suspected nuclear cargo.
Indian authorities have detained a ship bound for Karachi from China at Mumbai’s Nhava Sheva port over suspicions of carrying a dual-use consignment potentially aiding Pakistan’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
The vessel in question, the CMA CGM Attila, flying the Malta flag, was halted on January 23rd following intelligence inputs received by customs officials.
The consignment under scrutiny includes a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine, originally manufactured by an Italian company.
These machines, controlled by computers, are known for their efficiency, consistency, and accuracy in manufacturing processes.
Upon inspection, a team from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) confirmed the consignment’s potential utility for Pakistan’s nuclear endeavors.
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CNC machines, categorized under the Wassenaar Arrangement since 1996, aim to regulate the proliferation of equipment with both civilian and military applications.
India, as one of the 42 member countries, actively participates in exchanging information on transfers of such sensitive goods and technologies.
Initial documentation indicated the consignment’s sender as “Shanghai JXE Global Logistics Co Ltd” and the recipient as “Pakistan Wings Pvt Ltd” in Sialkot.
However, further investigation revealed that the shipment, weighing 22,180 kilograms, originated from Taiyuan Mining Import and Export Co Ltd and was destined for Cosmos Engineering in Pakistan.
This isn’t the first instance of Indian authorities intercepting dual-use military-grade items destined for Pakistan from China.
Cosmos Engineering had come under scrutiny previously, particularly on March 12, 2022, when Italian-made thermoelectric instruments were seized at Nhava Sheva port.
The concern over Pakistan potentially exploiting China as a conduit to acquire restricted items from Europe and the US while masking identities to evade detection remains significant.
Ongoing investigations seek to ascertain if suspected Pakistani entities receiving these items are supplying them to the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DESTO), responsible for much of Pakistan’s defense research and development.
Despite reassurances from Pakistan and China regarding their adherence to international conventions, the interception of covert shipments highlights persistent cooperation in potential proliferation activities, contravening global agreements and regulations.
In a similar incident in February 2020, an autoclave crucial for missile production was seized from a Chinese ship bound for Pakistan, further raising concerns about Pakistan’s involvement in the illicit trade of missiles and violations of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).
As a ship from China to Pak stopped at Mumbai port over suspected nuclear cargo, the gravity of these concerns was emphasized in June 2023, when the US Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) sanctioned three Chinese companies—General Technology Limited (an autoclave supplier to Pakistan), Beijing Luo Luo Technology Development, and Changzhou Utek Composite Company—for their involvement in supplying missile-applicable items to Pakistan’s ballistic missile program.
